


Wish Upon the Moon

by TheSleepyNinja15



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Magic, Moon, Romance, Royalty, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23799250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSleepyNinja15/pseuds/TheSleepyNinja15
Summary: The king is dying and his only hope to live is to seek the help of the witch. AU
Relationships: C.C./Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	1. The Forest in the Room

He had already passed by her when he decided to go back and finally remove his mask of arrogance and aristocracy. It is one ordinary sunny day where the people in the castle must be spending in meaningless and mindless activities that not only don’t benefit the land but also waste their resources. In fact, he left Sir Kururugi to supervise his useless relatives before they exhaust their limited wealth from gambling and parties.

So here he is, in the middle of the Forest of Winter Moonlight, without the company of any guard to protect him from sudden assassination, searching for the cure to his family’s centuries-long dilemma. True to its name, the forest glows like the freshest milk of a healthy cow during night time where one can see the biggest sight of the moon nesting above its dreaming trees. Some say that it’s because this land is the nearest place to the moon from earth. Some argue it’s due to the fact that they are favoured by the Moon goddess that she cannot afford to part from them even for a short while. While there is a myth telling of a young prince trying to catch fireflies but caught the moon instead. Regardless, the moonlight has blessed them several gifts like fertile soil and abundance of game keeping the land thriving despite the smallness of its size.

However, when the sun is out and about during the day, the moon disappears taking with it its light and leaving the forest in perpetual darkness under the summer sun. The trees, the flowers and the animals fall asleep until the moon returns to wake them up at night.

He pulls at the reins and redirects his horse towards the way they came from. It is too dark to navigate through the forest especially at this time – noon – but Arthur is a black horse borne blind that possesses the sharpest senses the greatest soldier could only wish for.

They pass by sleeping boars and a dreaming bear. The birds are silently perched on the branches like figurines ornamenting the Drawing Room. Flowers, large and tiny alike, are bowed to the ground concealing from the viewer their kaleidoscope of colors.

“Whoa.”

A young doe that is eating grass blocks their way, an anomaly in the deadness – the deadness of its surroundings perfectly reflected on its black eyes.

“Show yourself,” he commands.

“And who is asking?”

A voice from behind him. The doe disappearing.

“And who is he who just gave the command?”

He turns around and finds the doe standing by the horse’s arse but this time, its unfathomable gaze is directed to him.

“The king of this land,” he answers with authority.

Once again, the doe vanishes before him.

“And why would the king seek a witch during the _day…_ alone?”

And when he follows the voice, he is greeted by a woman, undressed, sitting leisurely on top of a mossy rock and conveniently looking down at him. Her long green hair conceals her breasts and perfectly blends with the plants around them. She possesses eyes of honey and gold that he can only compare with his crown. Her voice is soft and whimsical just like what her physical appearance suggests. But he knew how to not easily trust what he sees and get instantly tricked.

So he asks, "What is your name?"

"I am called 'C.C.', the Witch of the Sleeping Forest."

"C.C… C.C., are you the last descendant of the witches who lived here?”

“I am the _only_ the descendant.”

Lelouch nods, satisfied that his journey didn’t come to waste. “Good. You must come with me.” Turning Arthur around, he begins trudging back to the castle only for him to notice that no footsteps are following him. He glances over his shoulder and finds C.C. still sitting where he left her.

“What?” C.C. asks with a condescending laugh. Her eyes glimmer with amusement. “Just because you are the king doesn’t mean you can order anybody to your liking and expect that everyone will heed your commands.”

“I am _the_ king and that is enough for you to follow me.”

“Hmm. Sounds like a pompous man who thinks so highly of himself. Listen…” In a blink of an eye, C.C. is right infront him. She smells of waterfalls and budding leaves. Autumn freckles lightly peppered her face – so light that it is only noticeable when one is too near to her. And upon a closer inspection, he actually finds real leaves clinging to her hair. Suddenly, she pulls his arm down and she stands on her tiptoes to whisper on his ear, “You might be the king of the land but I own the forest. It lives because of me. It answers to my call. Now, you’re the one who sought me _alone_ here which means that you need my help which no one isn’t allowed to know about, so it is better to ask nicely while I am still being kind… _Your Majesty.”_

When she releases him, C.C. tosses Lelouch a triumphant smile which doesn’t sit well on the king’s ego. Now, who’s the more arrogant here? It sucks that he has to give in to her demand but it is true that he sought her, and it is truer that he needs something from her that no one should know about. For once the public knows about his intention of bringing her to the castle, uproar would likely happen on top of people seeing him as someone powerless and vulnerable. A powerless king? He doesn’t want to be remembered that way.

So Lelouch clears his throat and swallows his pride. Pulling at his collar, he says, “My apologies for being rude, _milady_. I humbly ask you to come with me so I can properly discuss my intentions.”

“Why not discuss it here? Why should it be in the castle where the walls can hear and the windows can see?”

Because he feels uncomfortable in her bastion. Because he can feel the magic humming through the air, the witchcraft floating in the breeze and how it can easily render him motionless in just a snap of her fingers. Because he is starting quietly to reprimand himself for not bringing at least Sir Kururugi with him. The forest feels colder, more unwelcoming and he can only trace this behaviour back to the woman before him.

He badly wants to return where he is in full control of the place and people.

“Ah, so the king is afraid.”

“Wh – ”

C.C. goes back to her rock. She flips her long hair over her shoulder exposing half of her body. Lelouch focuses his gaze on her face. “Do not be afraid, _boy king_. I don’t harm people regularly unless they hurt the forest. And I can feel that you aren’t planning to. Now, tell me your intentions.”

“I am dying.”

C.C. raises an emerald brow and begins surveying the area. “And? Do you wish your body to be buried here? I can think of a few lovely places that I can lend you. After all, a mortal’s decomposing body is the best fertilizer to nourish the land. Oh,” her eyes widen in realization, her hands clasp together infront of her chest, “Oh! You are here with good intentions! It is rare to have someone voluntarily offer themselves to the forest. And a king at that! I will forever – ”

“No!” he bursts. “I mean, I’m not here to be your goddamn plants’ meal,” she glares at him, “I’m here because of a myth.”

“A myth.”

“The Britannia’s bloodline has been tainted by a curse. A curse that causes every ruler who comes from the family to die when they turn twenty-five. I am twenty-three now so I have to quickly find a way to break the curse.”

“And you thought that I would know how?”

“Now, here’s where the myth comes into play. The elders said that the curse first appeared two hundred years ago, after the kingdom made a pact with the witches of this forest to stop witch hunts but in return, the people will be able to peacefully use the forest’s natural resources. My ancestors believed that your kind must know the origin of the curse and how to stop it, so for so long now, they had been asking for the assistance of a witch to find the cure only for them to die when they are about to reach their goal.”

“Are you blaming us for your misfortune?”

Lelouch shakes his head. “No… Well, there are actually suspicions,” C.C.’s eyes narrow, “But that’s not my priority right now. I am here because there might be a chance that your predecessor might have passed down her knowledge of the curse and cure to you.”

“Hmmm.” The green witch starts twirling her hair as she stares unwaveringly at Lelouch. There is something both hypnotic and irresistible with the way she rotates her fingers and he wonders if this is what her victims felt before she lured them and turned them as offerings to the forest. Or so what the rumors say. “I hate to kill your hopes and burn them to the ground but the past witch and I never met.”

“How could that be? Isn’t she supposed to be your… mother?”

Lelouch falls puzzled when C.C. laughs again and this time, the sound is that of birds chirping. “Oh, is she really?”

“Well, where is she, then?”

“I don’t know. Only the trees, the river, the soil know and they won’t tell me.”

Oh, damn, this is not looking good. In fact, Lelouch can already visualize the funeral the kingdom will give to him two years from now and it makes him shiver that his cousin, Clovis, will definitely insist on handling the matter turning Lelouch’s funeral into a mad circus. Cornelia, his other cousin, is a much better choice. Right, he’ll include that in his last will and testament. Lelouch groans in frustration. Perhaps, he should have heeded Waldstein’s advice of finding a witch when he was younger. How foolish he was thinking that the curse could possibly skip him and he would be the one miracle king who survived the tragedy and be written in history books. So instead, he spent his childhood and adolescence learning and mastering the art of war.

And mastered it he did for he was able to conquer rich lands and find lost treasures during his reign. But what is the use these lands and treasures to him when he wouldn’t be around for too long to utilize them?

What is the point of being hailed as the ‘Demon King’ when he can’t defeat death itself?

Truly, he is foolish and arrogant.

“I’ll give you anything you want just so you’ll help me.” He is desperate and he doesn’t like this feeling.

C.C.’s eyebrows perk up. “Anything? Can you make the sun shine again over the forest?”

“Anything,” Lelouch weakly repeats. “That is within my power and ability.”

He waits with bated breath for the witch’s answer. If she says ‘no’, that will be the end of him. Sure, he can seek the help of other witches but they can only provide mild remedies that will only last for a day or two. What he needs is something that will last a lifetime.

“Hmmm. I guess I have some time to spare,” the witch shrugs and Lelouch can breathe again. “I’ll come with you but in my own way. See you at the castle, Your Majesty.”

And all of a sudden, the witch and gone and a crow has flown.

Lelouch tries to match the crow’s speed worried that the witch would appear stark naked infront of the castle guards looking for him. But the ground is much harsher than the sky and gradually, the distance between him and the crow grows greater and greater until he cannot see it anymore.

"Did a young lady come looking for me while I was gone?" he asks the guards as soon as he arrives in the castle all the while surveying their gaze for a semblance of judgment.

"No, Your Majesty. But Sir Kururugi would like to request for your presence."

Walking, no, marching towards his room, he waves the guard away as he answers, "I can't meet him right now. Tell him that I'll be unavailable until tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Upon reaching his room, Lelouch orders the servants outside to leave at once. He locks the doors behind him and surveys the seemingly empty room. Was he tricked? Was he made to believe in false hopes? He cannot put such act of betrayal past a witch. After all, he didn't make her swear on her name or more effectively, on the name of the forest that she loves so much.

Lelouch shakes his head and plops on his bed. A soft whimper causes him to swiftly scramble away and there, buried under the silk sheets and pillows, is the Witch of the Sleeping Forest, lying and giggling at him.

"Your horse is so slow that I was able to take a nap and have nightmares."

The young king immediately averts his eyes to the ceiling for God knows what it does to him seeing a naked girl on his bed. An attractive naked girl at that.

He clears his throat. "Can you put on some clothes?"

"I don't bring anything with me."

"Then use your magic."

"I don't have any magic."

"Wha -" He gives up and takes a spare shirt from his dresser. He tosses it towards C.C.'s direction and not until she is fully clothed that he allows himself to look again. The bottom of the shirt reaches the middle of her thighs. Though the length is still questionable, it is better than her wearing nothing... on his bed.

"So what kind of curse is it?" inquires C.C.

"I'd rather show you."

Lelouch almost laughs at the irony of the situation when this time, he is the one removing his clothes. If only eyes can scoff, that is what the witch's orbs are doing right now. She kneels on the edge of the bed as he turns his back on her.

A cold palm lies lightly on his skin, slowly sweeping across his back. Lelouch shivers at the sensation as if he is holding snow with his bare hand.

"Oh, dear, this looks terrible."

He sighs. "It is... It started like a small bruise when I was a child then it grows larger as I became older. It is painless, though, perhaps the only consolation I am getting from this problem."

"I sense betrayal, loss, anger and sadness not from you, but from the marks. Writhing, consuming, hungry. But... it is painless?"

He nods. "It is. So perfectly painless that sometimes I forgot they exist."

"Well, too much pain sometimes leads to numbness. How did the previous rulers die from this?”

“In their sleep during their twenty-fifth birthday.”

Her fingernails slightly dig into his skin and Lelouch feels a surge of warmth on his back. It travels from the base of his neck down to the center of his hip reminding him of the vast deserts he had traversed. “The good news is it seems that the curse isn’t resistant of magic.”

“I thought you don’t have any magic.”

“The bad news is that it seems to only absorb magic. It doesn’t resist but it also doesn’t let the magic take effect. It’s like… like a piece of cloth that even when soaked, will instantly dry. Like foolish people who are willing to hear the truth but do not believe them."

Hearing her metaphors does nothing to lift up the king's spirit. It is beginning to sink in that this could be the future of his life now, or rather, lack thereof. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve to die at an age when he should be at the peak of his reign and brilliance. He doesn't deserve to have his dreams and accomplishments stolen by a curse he wasn't even alive when created. A curse that takes innocent lives without mercy or remorse. He didn't ask for this unjust fate. And if there is one thing, even the smallest grain of sand along the shore, that will give a weak light to this predicament, he will take it. After all, a weak light is the brightest light in the darkness.

He only notices that he has been silent for a while when C.C. clears her throat. She must have expected for him to say something but his mind is a storm of thoughts that words couldn't express.

"I have to know more about the curse. Since both of us are clueless on its origin and secrets, I need to have access to any resource, book, manuscript, anything that can help me figure out your situation," says C.C.

"Wait, you're actually going to me?"

Looking over his shoulder, he is subjected to an expression he didn't expect from her - surprise. She shrugs. "Perhaps. Well, your offer is hard to ignore. And I thought that I can learn something about the past witches, too. Like, where they have gone."A spark of excitement flourishes on her eyes which completely changes her appearance. "Certainly, you have books in your library that contain something about us."

"You're really going to help me?"Lelouch asks again, still in shock.

Suddenly, two frigid hands cup his face. C.C.'s own moves closer to his and this time, he can feel the coldness travel in his veins. Many have wondered why the sun doesn't shine on the forest during the day and he thinks he knows the answer now. The witch has its light trapped in her eyes. They twinkle, they glow, they burn like the star.

She stops right before their noses touch and her breath is a hail freezing his cheek. "I truly am, Your Majesty," she whispers. "Witches are not necessarily bad. But everything comes with a price."

"And what about the forest? Are you willing to be away from it for a while?"

"I am the forest and the forest is I. Wherever I am, I carry it with me. I have one question, though."She releases him and lies down on the bed with a bounce leaving Lelouch dazed.

"What is it?"

"Why did you choose _now_ to find a cure for the curse?"

"It is based on calculation. Two years... I needed at least two years to find a cure and within those years, at the last year to be exact, when nothing still works and hope is but an illusion, I have to find a wife to carry my child and legacy to rule the throne. That is how my bloodline survived all this time, though, of course, they married when they were younger than me. Let's say that it will be my most desperate last resort."

"Aaah."

Suddenly exhausted, Lelouch crawls on the bed with her. Lelouch is not a man of extravagance. Only rarely he indulges in lavish properties and gatherings and finds comfort on concise straightforward plans and designs. So, staring up at his plain white ceiling right now feels like staring directly at the moon. He has never set foot in the forest during the night. Mostly, he admires the moon through the balcony of his room that is located opposite of the forest and for that reason, his view is nothing extraordinary. But this moment oddly brings a sense of serenity and lull that only the moon can give and it is not even evening yet. Is it because of the possibility of a longer life opening up before him? The possibility of having more time to explore and conquer the world? Of living past twenty-five years old?

“Your ceiling needs stars.”

He turns next to him and realizes the answer. Ah, yes, it’s because of the witch – of her unearthly charm and mystic appeal. She brought the moon to his room. He almost laughs at the thought.

“And what is funny, boy king?” she curiously asks.

He shakes his head and returns his gaze back to the ceiling. “Nothing.” He chuckles. “Life, death, and curses and cures…”

“And dying kings and disappearing witches.”

“Your residence in the castle will be prepared at once. You will also have your own study room and endless access to the library. And most importantly, you will be given dresses and shoes to wear. Is there anything else…?”

But when he turns to her, the witch is already fast asleep on the sea of violet silk. Is that a soft snore he is hearing? It sounds like a cricket’s hum. This time, he lets out a soft chuckle. He barely knows the woman beside him but he already put his life on her hands. He doesn’t know if her intentions are entirely good and honest but he is willing to give her place in the heart of his castle. There is no guarantee that she wouldn’t betray him in the end and would indeed feed his body to her plants but at the very least, there is already one truth tested and proven.

_"I am the forest and the forest is I. Wherever I am, I carry it with me.”_

And truly, his room doesn’t feel like a room anymore but it is eventually filled with leaves on hair, a cricket’s hum, starless ceiling, snow-cold skin and sunlit eyes.


	2. The Flowers on the Walls

"Lelouch, wake up."

Who in their right minds have the guts to whisper in his ear and address him without any formality at such an early hour of the day when even not one of the servants is awake?

"Wake up," the woman repeats and the king just groans in return and turns his back on her.

"We have a problem."

Yes, yes, the woman will indeed have a problem when she doesn't stop disturbing his peaceful sleep. After weeks of tiring and nerve-wracking nights of strategizing against their enemy land, which thankfully resulted to Britannia's sweet victory, and overthinking about the curse, it is only now that he can savour some proper sleep and indulge himself with the softness of his bed.

"Are you dead? Should I feed you to my plants now, boy king?"

Forget sleep for now, he doesn't want to sleep forever. Slowly cracking his eyes open, a silhouette of a young woman hovering above him greets his hazy consciousness. A pair of candle lights stares directly into his eyes illuminating the little of light in his room. No, they're not candle lights. They are actually eyes.

"You must present a very valid reason to wake me up this early or else…"

"Or else?" C.C. lifts an eyebrow as she sits back and crosses her arms infront of her chest. Thank the Heavens and she is wearing something right now. Rising from his bed, the young king helplessly fixes his hair while rubbing his sleepy eyes with the other hand.

"For a king, you surely slack off on your duties. Shouldn't you be the first one to be awake and ensure that your land is intact in the morning?"

"Don't say things you know nothing of. What if this is the first proper sleep that I've had for weeks? Doesn't a king deserve to be at ease for once?"

"Ah, you are a grumpy riser."

"Tell me what the problem is and why you are awake."

Instead of answering, the witch grabs his arm and pulls him out of the bed. In the dark hallway, her thin and flowy lavender nightgown floats with the soft wind like thick fog in the forest. Her cold left hand is grasping his hand as she leads them down the rows of silent rooms and burning candles and it feels like touching morning dew.

"Your walls need flowers. Baby's breaths, daisies, carnations or poppies. Something that will liven up the castle. Red, yellow, magenta, a color that is striking to the eyes," she mindlessly comments.

"As long that they don't collapse, I'm fine with how they are right now."

Finally, C.C. stops infront of a large door that Lelouch can only make out as the library. His eyes narrow. What is she doing at the library this early in the morning? Is she truly that dedicated to their pact? Now, that impresses the king.

"We have a bit of a problem," she says as they enter the room.

The first things that catch Lelouch's eyes are the five candles glowing in the dimly lit room. Then, the pile of books they illuminate and towering on the broadest table at the center of the library. Following the witch, they stood staring at the book collection which, at Lelouch's closer inspection, is a mix of novels, folklores, history, art and medicine books. They share a common characteristic of having leaves or forests drawn at their covers yet some are worldly apart from each other's topics.

"What's the problem?" Lelouch inquires, picking up 'War and Victories' which is his favourite manuscript. Ah, this brings back some sweet and bitter memories.

"They won't read themselves."

"Hm?" Without looking up, he runs his fingers over the cover of 'Flowers and Thorns' which possesses one of the most elegant design covers with its gold-plated vine borders and letterings. Euphy adores this book.

"I said the books won't read themselves," C.C. huffs.

This time, Lelouch glances up and meets the witch's annoyed gaze then transfers his gaze to the books beyond them. His eyes widen.

"You mean, you can't read?" he utters in disbelief.

C.C. shrugs. "I can recognize the shapes and curves of the writings. Forest visitors sometimes drop letters and manuscripts in the forest and never return to retrieve them. Thus, you must teach them how to speak," she declares pointing at the books.

"I can have a trustworthy scholar teach you how to read. Of course, your true identity will be completely safe with me."

But the witch vehemently shakes her head in disagreement. "No. It must be you. As I've said before, the walls have ears and the windows have eyes. Secrets are bound to be revealed as long as there is someone who listens, and the woods, the sand, soil used to build this castle were once alive. They are now vessels of memories that travel through time and the touch of a hand. And if you are sensitive enough, you can relive the memories they hold for centuries just by touching them. So it has to be you. No one must be allowed to enter this library starting today aside from the two of us."

To be honest, C.C. made a good point about how important it is to keep this matter a secret between just the two of them though she somehow lost him during the talk of the sand and soil being alive. Yet, there are two other people that already knew her existence in the castle – Sir Suzaku Kururugi and Bismarck Waldstein. As based on Lelouch's ever reliable judgment, these two men wouldn't tell a word about the king keeping a witch in his quarters. First, because Sir Kururugi is his most trusted knight and adviser who had proven time and time again that he is willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of Lelouch's safety. Suddenly, the memory of the battle in Pendragon invades his thoughts and Lelouch is once again almost stabbed in his chest if not for Sir Kururugi's unexplainable speed and reflex to put himself between his king and enemy.

And second, Waldstein is the father figure that Lelouch has throughout his whole life. His father, the late great King Charles died when he was only three years old and Lelouch can barely remember his face, yet alone his personality. The portraits are a little help when he cannot put character on them.

"Hm. I'll say that Waldstein and Sir Kururugi are the exemptions to the rule. They wouldn't betray us and they have no ill will towards witches."

C.C. tilts her head as if in the manner of listening, then she nods, hums, then nods again. "Alright."

"What was that?"

"What? Oh. The shelves are supplying me stories."

The shelves? His eyes quickly settle on the endless rows of shelves filling the library. What does she mean – Ah. They are made of wood.

When his gaze returns to his companion, C.C. is wearing a knowing smirk.

"They have a lot of fascinating stories to tell. Especially about a girl named 'Shirley'."

"Enough!" Lelouch suddenly bursts out with ears as red as poppies. "As much as it is an advantage to be able to communicate with nature, please refrain from invading private matters, specifically, _my_ private matters."

"You mean your secret escapades with women?" C.C.'s brow is arched mischievously clearly indicating how she is enjoying pushing his temper. There is laughter in her eyes, amusement in her lips and Lelouch is not up for such meaningless exchange early in the morning. "These shelves are quite sturdy, eh?"

That's it. He's had enough. Marching towards her, he grabs her elbow and forcefully makes her sit with him. Without looking at the title, Lelouch retrieves a random book and opens it at a random page where he starts teaching her reading a random word just to make her shut up.

But even when they are already studying, even when she is already learning another topic, Lelouch cannot sit still for it is his wild secrets that she learned first thing in the morning.

* * *

They had to part ways before the whole royal household awakens which is a time when the king's supervision is mostly in demand. Often, the problems and concerns of the citizens are raised and addressed during this time of day. But what makes the king's garments twist as the sun rises is the ruckus his family members create every single day. C.C. had stopped listening to the whispers around her about Clovis and Cornelia's feud because the story itself makes her feel exhausted. What a poor king for having to deal with his useless family on top of ruling the land and winning wars. Oh, and finding a way to break the curse and live longer.

Anyway, C.C. absorbed the lessons like cloth with water and now she can recognize most parts of the book she's currently reading. Now, she is back to the forest to solve a problem that wasn't there when she left.

The soil has started crying as the plants and trees weep. The flowers gasps for air while the ants burn. There are boars lifelessly lying on the ground along with squirrels and deers. As soon as she heard their cries for help, C.C. quickly turns into a hawk and returns to the forest.

"My home, what is it that pains you?" the witch worriedly asks while kneeling on the forest bed. "Poison? The waterfalls?"

Immediately, she flies to the Weeping Falls and tastes its water. Bitter with a tinge of metal. All of a sudden, her throat burns like she swallows the fires of sun and C.C. falls writhing on land.

She hears the troubled and anxious words of the grass and trees as they helplessly watch her roll on her back.

What is this taste? What is this pain? She never experienced a poison as lethal as this (though it wouldn't kill her). Her throat has thorns squeezing the air out of her body. They prick, they slice, they stab her flesh without shedding blood.

When she thought that the sky will disappear and the soil will devour her body, the pain subsides and she can breathe easily again. Panting, she rises on her feet and follows the flow of the water's sorrow. She is led to a deep quarry where several villagers are digging the ground. Changing the color of her hair into black, C.C. blends in with the people for it is more unusual to disguise herself as an awake animal than a new face among them.

At first, there seems to be nothing extraordinary that caught C.C.'s attention. It still breaks her heart hearing the land and trees' sadness while being displaced. The people, unaware of the nature's distraught, continue to mercilessly dig for minerals and rocks they wish to sell at a high price. Yet, still, the forest tells her not to interfere.

Always.

Even though it is hurting everyday because of the human's activities, the forest tells her not to attack them. She had asked why but it would only shake the trees as if saying 'No', but now C.C. understands the reason behind its kindness.

The past witch may not be able to tell her about the agreement between the humans and the witches but the forest has been telling her all along.

The past witch, huh? She never questions her absence since C.C. began to understand the way of the forest. It was a given situation that the young girl readily accepted for everything she needed, everything she wanted was being provided by the forest. The Forest is the mother she knew and the puzzle on how it nourished her during her infant days is something that C.C. doesn't dwell on.

But now, after hearing the king's story, a curiosity blooms in the witch's nonchalant heart.

A burly man carrying a large sack of land catches C.C.'s attention and follows him to the edge of the river. Concealing herself among the trees, she sees a few more men squatting by the riverbank, a plate in hand, filtering the minerals with water. This process is nothing new and had been done ever since C.C. came across the miners several years ago. What calls her attention, though, is the substance that the men added as they filter the minerals from the soil. A silver-colored liquid which C.C. has never seen before. She runs along the direction of the river flow and away from the quarry. Then, she kneels by the bank and watches as the sleeping fishes started floating on the surface of the water.

They are dead and she is completely certain that it is the mystery substance that's causing the forest's despair. She has to stop this before it kills the whole forest.

She won't let them kill the only mother she knows.

* * *

C.C. has been missing for five days now.

At first, Lelouch has been lenient and patient on her disappearance considering that she still has her own will to leave the castle despite their pact and the residence he bestowed her in the Royal Tower. He definitely understands her other responsibility in the forest which, if he will be truly honest to himself, is larger and far more important than solving his problem. After all, her loyalty lies with the forest and not with the ruler of the land.

So as days passed by and as he solved the problems of his own land such as the mysterious sickness that suddenly infects his people and the equally mysterious case of injured men emerging from the forest, Lelouch tries to put his worry for the witch's disappearance at the back of his head.

But!

But he trusted her, and she gave him hope for his curse so just thinking that she decided to leave and break their pact after seeing her very eager to learn how to read does not sit well with Lelouch's logic and keeps him bothered all day.

So for the second time, the king went to the forest alone in search for the missing witch. With the aid of his ever reliable horse, he navigates the dark forest seamlessly as if he it was a route he frequently traverses. However, there's a different energy, or rather, there is a lack of energy enveloping the place. Somehow, the trees and the plants are bent not as if they're sleeping, but as if they're exhausted and dying. Every step Arthur makes feels like stepping onto a quicksand that could swallow them whole. The air is stale. Sometimes, it feels like there's no air at all.

Through his sharp sense of smell, Arthur finds the witch's current lair by the riverbank.

C.C. is back to wearing nothing but her skin. Surrounding her are dead fish lying on the ground, arranged like ritual stones as they form a circle around her. Eyes closed, the witch is in a praying position that she didn't notice Lelouch's arrival. Or perhaps, she already knew that he is coming, all her talks about nature being able to listen and tell are starting to rub on him.

He is about to announce his presence when something to his left catches his attention. Turning, he is dumbstruck to find two unconscious men tied against a tree with its roots wrapped around their legs. The roots' grip is tight and sturdy leaving no space for a desperate struggle.

Lelouch takes a step towards them only to be stopped by a sharp breeze striking his abdomen. But as quick as the pain hit, it quickly disappears like a phantom memory.

"Wh - ?"

"Don't."

Glancing up, the king sees the witch gazing at him with glowing gold eyes. There's a heavy energy surrounding her that could have warded off anyone who comes across her path but not Lelouch. Well, simply because there are roots wrapped around his ankles, too, now.

"What are you doing with my people?" confronts Lelouch as he unsheathes his sword and directs it towards C.C. Weaponry against witchcraft? Lelouch is clearly at a disadvantage.

C.C. takes a step forward and Lelouch could have stepped back if not for the roots clinging onto him. " _Your_ people are killing the forest."

"So, you're the one who's hurting the miners."

"I asked them nicely but they wouldn't listen. All they cared about is the gold they can unearth and the money they will earn. The forest is always the one who is giving and the people just take and take more than what they actually need. They never think that they are causing damage to the place that warmly welcomed them."

Standing before him, Lelouch realizes that the glow from C.C.'s eyes are not a product of her witchcraft or anger, instead, they are fresh tear stains drying under her eyes.

"Tell me what happened," Lelouch commands.

"Go to the river and smell the water," C.C. orders back.

Lelouch does and with his hands, he scoops some water from the river and puts his palm under his nose. Metallic.

Returning his gaze to the river, he finds dead fishes floating and being carried by the current. He looks back at the fishes lying on the land and notices the unusual color of the soil.

"The miners are using something to filter the soil from gold more easily in the water. They wash it at the river above that cliff and the water travels down the Weeping Falls carrying the poison with it."

Something to filter the soil?

A memory suddenly awashes Lelouch bringing him back to a meeting with his subordinates that happened a week ago.

" _A merchant from the east is offering to sell to the kingdom his magic water," Clovis excitedly shared while rubbing his hands together._

" _Magic water?" Lelouch repeated lazily, already uninterested by another of his cousin's ridiculous ideas._

" _Yes, Your Majesty. According to him, it can turn ordinary sand into gold. All the miner has to do is to pour it over the dug sand and wash it in the river. Then, the sand will copy the properties of the real gold. It sounds really amazing."_

" _And how much does the merchant priced his 'magic water'?"_

" _Well, uh, three thousand gold coins, Your Majesty."_

" _Three thousand gold coins for fake gold?" the king uttered in annoyance. "Ridiculous. What's the next issue, Suzaku?"_

" _But Your Majesty!" Clovis appealed. "We can easily earn back what we spent, and we can be the richest kingdom in the world that can buy whichever land it wanted. You wouldn't have to go to war and endanger your life. Please, consider it, Your Majesty."_

_Lelouch raised an unimpressed brow and looked down at his cousin. He was certain that his safety was the last thing in Clovis' mind. What the older man was truly after was the riches it would bring him if Lelouch's agreed to his proposal. Heh, Lelouch would bet his life that Clovis had a cut with the price that he said earlier. "I wouldn't waste our resources to produce fake gold that will certainly cause more wars if discovered by other countries." He addressed the whole room. "No one shall purchase the 'magic water' from the merchant. Anyone found to be disobeying my order will face punishment equal to fraud."_

But it seems like someone did not heed his orders.

"Gold, huh?" he kneels on the ground and grabs a handful of yellow soil. The 'magic water' didn't turn the soil into gold but poisoned it.

Rising, he faces the witch and says, "You broke the agreement between the kingdom and the witches."

Upon hearing his words, C.C.'s anger becomes the air they breathe and Lelouch is being suffocated by the feeling of grief and betrayal.

"The forest is dying and that's all you can say? Your people did it first."

"That's right. They are _my_ people. They are my responsibility. You should've told me first before resorting to hurting them." Putting his hands on his hips, Lelouch sighs. "I am not your enemy, C.C. Let me help you in saving the forest."

"Help me?" the witch asks in confusion as if they are words she heard for the first time and that's when it hits Lelouch – why she acted on her feelings in order to protect her sanctuary without thinking twice – she has been alone throughout her whole life that she doesn't know how to ask others for help. According to the books he'd read, the witches from the Forest of the Winter Moonlight lives solitarily for each generation. They effectively isolate themselves from civilization that some associate their existence to a myth. "And what can you do?"

"I don't know, perhaps I can order an immediate suspension of the mining and arrange a group of scholars that will find a way to control and stop further damage to the forest." Lelouch shrugs. "You know, because I'm the king and all, they would probably follow my command at once."

But C.C. remains skeptical though he sees that the anger in her eyes is beginning to fade away. "You'll do that?"

Lelouch nods, and in a serious tone he says, "Yes. We are accomplices, after all." And to prove his point, they – C.C. in a form of a crow flying above his head – proceed to the quarry after freeing the unconscious miners. True to his words, Lelouch quickly orders its temporary closure and an investigation on how the miners got a hold of the 'magic water'. For the mean time, ordinary people are not allowed to enter and hunt in the forest as they will let it heal and recover the life it lost.

Back in the castle, except for the king and the witch who made a little haven in the library, its residences and servants are engulfed in wonder as yellow trollius flowers began growing out of the castle's walls.


End file.
